Google's AI Mode is killing Reddit's traffic: CEO Steve Huffman
What's the story
Reddit's CEO Steve Huffman has said that Google's AI-powered search modes are not contributing to the platform's traffic. This statement was made during an earnings call for Q3 2026. Huffman said that the company has seen a major drop in search traffic this month, with over a million referrals lost on average per week.
Traffic impact
AI mode doesn't drive traffic: Huffman
Huffman said that the change in search experience brought by Google's AI Mode and AI Overviews is partly responsible for Reddit's traffic woes.
"The reality is, AI Mode does not drive traffic," he said. "Not for us, and not for anybody, as far as I know. That's just a fundamental shift in how Google works."
Ranking concerns
Machine-translated Reddit content may be getting lower rankings
Huffman also expressed concerns that machine-translated Reddit content may be getting lower rankings in search results. He believes this would mainly affect the company outside the US.
He further said that both AI Overviews and AI Mode have "evolved a lot," now pushing "everyone down the search page" at a "minimum."
Search ranking
Reddit still a top search term in Google
Despite these challenges, Huffman said Reddit continues to be a "top search term in Google."
He clarified this doesn't reflect any change in internet consumers' demand for Reddit.
"People still want Reddit," he said. "It says Google is not sending them to Reddit the way they used to."
Strategic changes
Reddit is working to make its platform a 'direct' destination
In light of these challenges, Reddit is working to make its platform a "direct, sticky, daily destination."
The company recently launched a "For You" feed with personalized recommendations.
It also started testing an experiment in August that uses AI to convert posts into short videos.
Reddit also announced it will require all users to log in.